GE 6-Car, Solar-Powered Charging Station!

Right here in our hometown, just down the street, GE unveiled a 6-Car, Solar-Powered Charging Station. We, along with others in town, have watched GE build it. This brought great curiosity to the third graders in Christopher's class. So we headed off on a HOT day in June to see what this Solar Powered Charging Station is all about!

Thanks to a GE Engineer from the project, we learned a lot about this charging station. The chargers are capable of fully charging 13 cars a day and five cars at a time. The solar carport produces enough energy to power about 20 homes for a year! Whatever energy isn't needed to charge cars goes back to the grid. When the station is overloaded, it will take back from the grid when needed.

The station is currently open to employees that work at GE, but there is a charging station there in the parking lot for locals who may have to charge their vehicle. GE hopes to build these stations across the country as the need arrises.

The Water is 12 feet (3.7 m) Deep and it is Safe to Pass...

The title is a clue to where we went today? Any ideas???

Today was a day off of school so we decided to jump in the van and head into Hartford. Any guesses now? Christopher had a project on Samuel Clements AKA Mark Twain so we headed to the Mark Twain House on Farmington Avenue. The title of this post is what the term "Mark Twain" meant to Riverboatmen. Christopher found that very interesting.

It was a quiet day at the house. Our tour consisted of another couple and the kids and I. It was a great opportunity for Christopher to get all the information he needed about Mark Twain or should I say Samuel Clements...

Anneli was fascinated because Samuel Clements was a Cat lover. He had MANY cats. Their names were such like SOUR MASH, APPOLLINARIS, ZOROASTER, and BLATHERSKITE . They were not named in an unfriendly spirit, but were named such so that his children could practice large and difficult styles of pronunciation.

It was a great day to check out the beautiful house. If you are ever in Hartford and have a few minutes, be sure to check out the Mark Twain House!

A Day at Mystic Aquarium!

We woke up this morning thinking of things to do. Christopher and Anneli wanted to go to the Mystic Aquarium. We picked up my parents and headed down to Mystic. The kids always love to go and they love to bring others like my parents so they can show off their vast knowledge of Sea Creatures. Christopher should really work here when he gets old enough! He wouldn't have to learn too much more! :)

Tripping with Pepe!

Today we went to the Science Center with Pepe. Meme was in South Carolina and Pepe had the day off. We called him and asked him if he'd like to go to the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford with us. We have gone many times and even taken Meme, but Pepe has never been. I don't have many pictures, since my camera battery was dying, but we had a great time!

Kindergarten Trip to Gnazzo's

I'm extremely fortunate to be able to be a stay at home mom! Today I got to go on another field trip! Today's field trip was to Gnazzo's. Gnazzo's is a small grocery store in town that I used to work at when we first moved here to CT in 1995. I worked there part time during my senior year, when I was going to College and one night a week when I first got married.

Anneli was so excited to tour the store and I was happy to see some familiar places and faces. Since the grocery store is just down the street from the school, we bundled up the kids and we walked to the store. It was a little chilly, but it was a short walk so it wasn't too bad. Upon arriving at the store, the kids took a vegetable quiz. Anneli knew quite a few of them! YIPPEE!! Next up was a tour of the loading dock where all the groceries get delivered. The kids then got to see the cooler where all the fruit is kept fresh and then we got to watch a pineapple be cored and cut and then we each got a few pieces to try! Some kids had never eaten fresh pineapple. Anneli wishes she had a pineapple corer at home so she could eat fresh cored pineapple ALL the time! I'm sure we could find one on e-bay for Christmas...

She really loved trying out the cash register! She ne

eds to grow a little more before she can be like me and work there too! :)

Indian Rock

This morning Shaun worked from home and got Anneli on the bus at 11:50am so I could go on a field trip with Christopher and his third grade friends to Indian Rock. Indian Rock is a Nature Preserve where we learned about Native Americans!

First we took a hayride around the Preserve and learned the history and some great stories of the Tunxis Indians.

We also visited 'Indian Rock' and learned about it's legend. Next we learned about Stone Tools. We learned how you use materials to make tools. We then made out own tools and a necklace for the kids to bring back to class. It was fun---but a lot of work. The kids saw that it wasn't easy to be a Native American! After lunch, we had Wigwam Adventures. It was a COLD day, but inside the Wigwams it was VERY warm, almost too hot! While in the Wigwams we learned about how native Americans lived in harmony with the natural world.We also learned about what Native Americans ate.It was a great day learning about Native Americans with Christopher and his friends---even if it had to be on the COLDEST day of the year!! Seriously!!! :)

Anneli's Fall Walk

It was a super chilly day! Look at the sky!!A little cold for a walk, I thought, but Anneli's teacher and I took the kids on a 'Fall Walk'. We bundled everyone up with coats, hats & gloves and off we went to explore the signs of spring around the neighborhood. After observing/collecting 'signs of fall' and it feeling like winter, we took the kids to the High School track. There the kids had the opportunity to run around the track--for fun and to keep warm!
Look at Anneli stretching before she runs....her daddy would have been proud! :) I felt like running with them to keep warm---not necesarily to run, since I am NOT a runner!! :) The kids had a great time and we got everyone back to the warm school safe and sound just in time to board the buses to go home!

Kindergartens Minor's Farm Pumpkin Trip

Today I went with Anneli and her class to Minor's Farm. Minor's Farm is the home to Daisy the Pig. Daisy is a famous pig that loves to read!! We've seen her quite a few times--she has even visited our Library with Farmer Minor! You can read more about her and Farmer Minor here. It was a little chilly with some dark looking clouds, but we stayed dry and had a great time
on a hay ride

riding in a cow pulled by a tracter

finding our way through a maze

pickin' a pumpkin

getting our picture taken

riding bikes

playing on blow up bouncy toys

enjoying a snack

and a ride home on the 'luxury bus'!

What a fun day!